I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!

Igneel-

I'm surprised you were the only one to comment about the lack of Lisanna being in this chapter. Frankly I have been debating about what to happen between her and the couple, but you can be assured that there will be interaction with Lisanna in the coming chapters.

Chapter 8 – The Interview

-Dragneel Household-

Mirajane groaned lightly as her eyes fluttered open only to find herself lying on top of her husband. She blushed brightly as the title crossed her mind. Satisfied that she knew where she was, she closed her eyes and tried to nuzzle deeper into his chest, trying to find a comfortable position over his solid frame. Just as she was settling into a comfortable spot, she remembered their meeting with Jason. In an attempt to push herself off Natsu's chest, she found that he had wrapped his arms around her somewhere in the night, preventing her from moving.

"Natsu." She whispered sweetly, trying to wake him peacefully. He mumbled something in his sleep and rolled to his side, still holding her tightly to him. Mirajane sighed and tried to pry his arms from her waist, but failed to gain any ground. "Natsu, wake up." She said, her patience wearing thin.

"Mmm… five more minutes, Mira." He moaned, burying his face into her hair to get a better smell of his lover.

"We can't keep Jason waiting, love. Besides, you are the one who said we would do the interview." Mirajane commented pushing against his chest once again.

Natsu chuckled and let her go, watching her sit up. "Thinking about another man already? We haven't been married a full day yet." He teased. "Maybe I need to bring your mind back to me."

Mirajane turned a heated gaze towards him, her blue yes darkening from his teasing. Before she could open her mouth to scold him, he sat up and captured her lips gently. She pushed him away, trying to hide the smile that threatened to break her angry façade. "You make breakfast while I shower." She said sweetly while standing up on weak legs, stumbling slightly before making her way to the bathroom.

Natsu couldn't help but feel a little proud at the fact that their passion had taken its toll on her. Staring at the closed door to their bathroom he grinned and silently slipped into the small room. Reaching over to her, he slid his hand down her back, Mirajane jumping in surprise at the sudden touch. His hands grabbed her waist and spun her around quickly, crushing his lips over her while backing her into the shower, ignoring her protests that they wouldn't have enough time.

A soft cry left her lips as her back met the cool tile wall. The contrast of the hard cool wall behind her and the strong warm body in front of her made her knees weak and she finally gave into his advances. Wrapping an arm around his neck, she pulled herself closer to him, hovering her lips close to his. "If you make us late, there will be hell to pay." She said seductively before wrapping a leg around his waist.

"It will worth being late for." He whispered before dropping her lips over hers and picking her up so her other leg would wrap around him.

-Halgon Train Station-

Natsu barely waited long enough for the doors to open before he shoved passed them to flop on the ground. "Solid ground. I swear I will never ride in one of those contraptions again!"

Mirajane sighed and pat his head gently. "Next time, don't give us such a small window to get somewhere if you don't want to take the train."

Natsu smiled and pushed himself to his feet, having regained the color in his cheeks. "Let's get this done so we can have some time for ourselves before we head home."

Mirajane blushed lightly but grabbed his hand and started pulling him along towards the studio that she was so familiar with. She wove them along the streets, ignoring the small glances people in the town were giving her. It took her a moment to remember that not too many people knew that they had gotten together in the first place, which alone wouldn't have been enough to explain the ring on her hand. Biting her lip, she ignored everyone and focused on leading Natsu down towards the studio.

Once they were finally in front of the large building she couldn't help but remember when they had first started their secret relationship. A shudder flowed down her spine at the memory of her excitement of being caught by their friends.

"You alright Mira?" Natsu asked, bringing her out of her memories. She nodded and pushed the doors open. "Just remembering the last time I was here." She answered over her shoulder.

"Mirajane! It is so good to see you again!" Cried out the receptionist before she ran around her desk to tackle into the mage. The only two stayed standing because Natsu had been standing behind Mirajane and had stopped them from falling. "Jason came back last night in a flurry of emotions, crying about how you got married, and to someone in your guild no less!" She was practically squealing with excitement, ignoring Natsu who stood with his arms crossed. "No one knew you were even in a relationship. Is that why you didn't finish the swimsuit shoot last time?"

Mirajane held her thin smile on her face as irritation ate away at her patience. "Cecilia, let me introduce you to Natsu Dragneel, my husband."

It was as if the woman hadn't even realized that Natsu was there until Mirajane pointed him out. Her mouth fell open at the realization of who stood in front of her. "The Natsu Dragneel? Fairy Tail's very own Fire Dragon Slayer? Why didn't you say so sooner? We could have prepared something! It's your first time here correct?"

Natsu stared curiously at the woman. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy it when people recognized him, it just made him feel awkward when they fawned over him. Almost as if they expected him to perform tricks like a common magician. It irritated him. "We were a little busy celebrating our wedding to tell people who she married. That's why I agreed to this, I want everyone to know Mira is taken."

Mirajane looked up into Natsu's onyx eyes and felt a rush of joy spark through her. "Can you direct us to wherever Jason ran off to so we can proceed with the interview?" She asked Cecilia without removing her eye's from Natsu's. Her breath sucked in sharply as his hand cupper her cheek. His simple touch should not have had this profound effect on her, but she couldn't help it.

"Awww." Cecilia said watching the two interact. "You two are so cute together. It is about time we found young love like yours to place on our centerfold."

Natsu spun his head to the woman, glaring daggers. "If you want to keep this studio in one piece, make sure the pictures are cleared through me before they are printed."

Mirajane slapped his shoulder and glared up at him, losing her smile. "Don't be rude Natsu. They haven't done anything wrong."

"Enough men ogle you as it is." He mumbled to himself while gesturing for Cecilia to lead the way. The blinking receptionist stood stunned for a moment before regaining her composure and spinning to lead them down a long hallway, though missing the same pep she had just moments prior. Natsu took Mirajane's hand in his own while they walked, refusing to acknowledge that he could have done something wrong.

Cecilia opened a door and stepped aside to reveal a long couch with chairs creating a half circle in front of it with a table in the center. Mirajane gently touched the woman's arm and smiled. "Don't mind him; his bark is worse than his bite."

"I beg to differ." Natsu commented before taking a seat, smiling up at the two women. He blew a small flame in a huff.

"Okay, yeah. He's right. His bite is far worse than his bark. But you don't have to worry about any of that, I can keep him in line." Mirajane said with a small laugh before taking her seat next to Natsu.

Cecilia nodded nervously and bowed her head. "I will go grab Jason then. Please make yourselves comfortable."

Mirajane waited until the door shut before turning around and slamming her fist on his chest. "Why do you have to be so rude? It's their job to take pictures and get all of the details."

"I don't care." Natsu said narrowing his eyes. "You are mine now. I should be the only one to see you so… I don't know the word for it."

Mirajane sighed and leaned into his side. "I understand what you are trying to say. Tone it down a little thought wouldn't you? I know you mean well, but we can't keep causing problems for others just because it doesn't make you feel comfortable."

Natsu frowned and stared at her sideways for a moment before a smirk crossed his lips. Grabbing her waist he pulled her to sit in front of him with her back to his chest. Mirajane leaned back into him and shook her head. "You can't just expect to get away with everything by pulling me against you, you know that right?"

Natsu kissed the soft skin of her shoulder before placing his chin there to watch the door open. "I can try." He whispered to her as Jason revealed himself, a bright smile lighting up the reporter's features.

"When I woke up this morning, I still couldn't believe that Mirajane the Demon married her friend Natsu the Salamander! Thank you again for taking the time to sit down with me so soon after your moment!" Jason said sliding into his seat across from the two, pulling out a small lacrima powered recorder to drop it on the table.

"We are happy to be here, Jason." Mirajane said relaxing against her husband.

"I have to ask, how did the two of you end up together? You two don't seem like a typical couple." Jason asked leaning forward expectantly.

Natsu scoffed, wrapping his arms tighter around Mirajane's waist. "She offered me the chance to sleep with her." Natsu said bluntly.

"W-what?" Jason asked, his eyes widening as he darted between the two, taking great notice of Mirajane's blush.

"Don't lead with something like that! Jason, it wasn't like that, let me explain!" She said holding her hands up in front of her. "I had been watching him for quite a while, nearing three years before I got a chance to make him see me as something more than a friend. At first, it was just that, as a friend. He wasn't having a very good week, what with his partner being on another date, and I noticed he was acting strangely. Turns out he was lonely, so I offered him a place to stay so he wouldn't feel alone, at least for a night."

"Then what did he mean by you offering him the chance to sleep with you?" Jason asked, intrigued completely.

"In a way, yes I did offer him a chance to sleep with me. But that was what it was about, sleep. Well… at least that was how it started; just enjoying one another's company while we figured out what was between us. There were a few bumps in the road, quite a few misunderstood words… I didn't think we would get past them at the time, I had doubted what he actually felt for me." Mirajane said quietly, recounting the events that had tried to tear them apart. "But Natsu has always been very… persuasive. He made me realize a few things, and frankly. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised to be sitting her like this."

"I told her I didn't want her as my wife." Natsu said bluntly.

Jason's mouth fell open and he sputtered, trying to find words to fit the situation. "I don't think I understand here. You don't want to be married to her?"

Natsu shook his head. "I love her, don't get me wrong. I would do anything for her, but marriage isn't quite the right step that I feel. Husband and wife… Just doesn't seem right." Mirajane ran her hands along his arms and gave his wrists a gentle squeeze, reassuring him that she knew what he meant.

"I'm still not following…" Jason said with a large frown, his eyes furrowing while his naturally happy exterior faded completely. "If you don't want to be married, then why did you make that grand gesture at the festival? It was quite the site to behold. Even you looked surprised Mirajane."

Mirajane nodded and blushed. "We had agreed to be married yes, but I thought we were just going to tell everyone we knew about our plans at the festival. Natsu decided it wasn't soon enough and got the guild to help him with the impromptu wedding. I couldn't have been happier."

"Maybe you lost me somewhere. I thought you told her you didn't want to marry her, Natsu." Jason said scratching his head.

"I think I can explain that better than he can." Mirajane said happily. "It's pretty strange really, but it was his way of telling me that he loved me. Titles don't mean much to Natsu, at least not in the normal sense that you and I do. He loves me and wants me to be with him, but he doesn't care for the title."

"Words and promises can only take you so far." Natsu explained. "A ring can easily be removed and without it, no one knows that you are married, or even that you have someone that close to you. I don't want something that can fall apart so easily, but it was important to her. Important to have it official, even though the two of us had decided we didn't care what anyone else thought about us being together."

Mirajane sighed and shook her head. "We aren't explaining it right. Natsu is one of a kind in the way he thinks. I understand that no matter what title I give him; boyfriend, lover, husband… none of it matters to him. All he asks from me is that I stay with him. As long as I'm-"

"She's mine." Natsu said interrupting her. "I don't care what she calls me, but she is mine. If it takes me proposing to her for her to realize that I won't give up on her, then I would gladly do it."

Jason tried to understand just what the Dragon Slayer was saying. "You make it sound as if everything was so simple, that just being with her is enough for you." He was silent for a moment before grinning. "It is far more complicated than that, but the way you say it only makes me want to believe you." Natsu smiled at his comment and kissed Mirajane's cheek.

"Natsu never follows the rules that society lays out for him." Mirajane responded. "But that's what makes him who he is."

Jason stared happily at the two lovers in front of him before shaking his head. "Anyways, what about kids? Have you discussed that yet?"

"It's too late to discuss it." Mirajane said smiling. "One thing lead to another and it just sort of happened." Natsu ran a hand over her abdomen gently. "She's already pregnant."

This caught Mirajane by surprise and she jumped slightly. "And how do you know that?" She asked quickly before she remembered about his particular senses.

"Call it a hunch, there is just something different about you today. I just know." He said finally. "Besides, we need to get an early start. I want at least twelve kids!"

Mirajane laughed and shook her head. "Maybe twelve is too many Natsu. I was thinking more along the lines of two."

"Six."

"Two."

"Four."

"Two."

Natsu sighed and smiled, "Two would be lovely, I'd take one if it meant it was yours."

Jason chuckled at the two as he took down what they were saying, hoping to add it to their article. "Now, I understand you both lost your parent's at a young age, is this another thing that brought you together? Something in common?"

Natsu grew quiet and looked down. "We aren't the same when it comes to that. Yes, we both lost our parents, but it isn't the same. She lost her parent's, mine gave me up. Twice. I don't know who my actual parents are, but my father, Igneel left seven years ago. Just up and left one day."

Jason opened his mouth to say something soothing but closed his mouth promptly, unsure of what to say. Mirajane turned in his arms and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling his forehead to hers. "My parents died leaving me with my two siblings. Natsu was left alone and while I want to say I know his pain, I don't. But I know how much it means to him to have someone leave; all I can do is promise to stay with him." The two shared a gentle kiss and they saw a flash in the room that indicated someone had taken a picture.

"We should get to over to the studio so we can take your pictures, I trust you brought your dress Mira?" Jason asked raising an eyebrow.

"But of course!" Mirajane said pulling her pack over to her. "I'm afraid I can't redo that trick Natsu pulled yesterday." She added quietly.

Grabbing the recorder, Jason stood up and smiled even brighter. "Let's be about this then, we can get you to wardrobe to get changed." He barely waited long enough to see them get up before heading out the door to lead them down the long hall once more.

Once changed, Mirajane looked at herself in a mirror to check out her dress once again, smiling brightly at the dress. She hadn't taken the time to look at it thoroughly while she wore it. The white dress hung tightly over her shoulders and hugged her curves down just past her thighs where it fanned out enough that she could comfortably move, though her strides had to be much shorter than she was used to. She knew if she had to, she would be unable to run without tearing the dress. The lace that draped over her shoulders rubbed gently over her skin whenever she moved, sending shivers down her back. She had no idea how Natsu had thought up such a dress in the first place, or even at how he had figured out her measurements. Reminding herself to ask him about it, she left the dressing room to the large open room where they would take their pictures.

There he stood once more, standing in the same white suit he had been in when he had admitted that they were in fact getting married. The wide collar of his undershirt rose up over his jacket's collar. The jacket itself hung just past his knees and before she knew it, she found herself staring at him. She couldn't turn away. She had always known he had a great body, but she couldn't help but think that he looked better dressed up like this. He looked more mature, more refined; even sexier if that was even possible. It was the draw that the clothes had the hidden skin that she was used to seeing and it only made her want to strip him again.

She blushed lightly when his eyes turned up to hers, his eyes burning with desire. She knew it wasn't the same desire that he had shown her earlier, it was stronger. He wasn't telling her that he wanted her for her body right then, it was that he wanted her, he wanted everything about her. She planned to give it to him and crossed the short distance to her, stopping just a step away from him. She was caught off guard when he took her hand gently in his and brought it up to his lips.

"You are more beautiful now than you were before." He said quietly, unaware of everyone in the room watching them. "I didn't think it was possible, but seeing you in this dress again could over improve upon your beauty. If I saw you a hundred times, each time would only be more beautiful."

The silence around them finally brought Natsu's mind to the present, back to where they were standing and he blushed brightly. Mirajane smiled even more and winked at him. "Even the great Natsu Dragneel gets embarrassed, this is good to know." Leaning towards him, she kissed the tip of his nose. Another flash brought their heads over to Jason who stood there with a camera in his hands just a short distance from them, but kneeling on the ground to get a picture below them.

"This is good!" Jason cried out, gesturing for the two to get closer together. "I want to recreate that moment in which you were surprised to have Natsu standing next to you when he gave you your ring. That moment when you realized you were getting married at the festival." He explained.

Mirajane smiled and looked up at Natsu loving the gentle look in his eyes. "That shouldn't be too hard." She whispered to herself. She stared deep into her husband's eyes and shivered as one of his hands slipped across her hip while the other hand took her chin in between his thumb and forefinger to tilt her head back just enough to capture her lips softly. Mirajane gasped into the kiss, only tempting Natsu to deepen it, but he held himself back knowing full well that the eyes on them would judge them if he did. He ignored the flashes of light surrounding them and before he knew what he was doing, he was pulling away from the kiss to kneel on one knee on the ground in front of her. Taking her left hand in both of his, he kissed the back of it before looking up at her happily.

Mirajane smiled down at the man and cupped his cheek, watching him lean into it with closed eyes. Bending over at the waist she brushed the hair out of his eyes and pressed her lips to his forehead. Only the absence of the flashing lights brought her back up. She met eyes with Jason confused, wondering if they hadn't done what he had wanted.

Jason, for his part, stood there with the camera loosely held in his hands. "I see now why you didn't bother to tell anyone about your relationship, Mirajane. You really don't care what anyone else things of you. I think we have enough pictures with your wedding attire, would you mind staying to complete the pictures we couldn't get the last time you were here?"

Mirajane frowned and looked down at Natsu, who hadn't moved from his place on the ground. He nodded slowly and dropped her hand. "Its fine Mira, I know it's something I would have to deal with eventually. The sooner the better I guess."

Mirajane sighed and shook her head. "I won't do it if it makes you uncomfortable." She responded with a small smile.

"I have an idea." Jason spoke up, cautiously interrupting the two. "Why don't you two do it together?"

Natsu stood and frowned over at the reporter. "You trying to tell me you want to see me in a bathing suit?"

Mirajane laughed and took his hand in hers. "He is trying to say that he would rather get his pictures with you in them than to not get them at all." She said pulling him along towards the dressing room. She shut the curtain behind them and quickly walked over to the clothing rack to start searching for something to wear, as well as something to match for him. She grabbed a pair of black swim trunks with red lining for him and tossed them over before grabbing a matching two piece for herself.

She jumped slightly when she felt his fingers nimbly undoing the buttons on her back before helping her out of her clothes and setting her dress aside gently. She moaned gently at his touch when his fingers attempted to disrobe her from her undergarments. "You know I can do this myself right?" She whispered.

Natsu chuckled and shook his head at her. "That's no fun, Mira." She waited until she was completely naked before turning around to help him out of his clothes. "What would they say if they caught us in this situation?" He asked winking down at her.

Mirajane kissed his bare chest and smiled. "Don't get excited just yet, we still have a couple of hours before they will let us go." Shoving the trunks into him she stepped away to pull her own swimsuit on. "The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can…" She lost her words seeing him standing there, his eyes taking in her naked form. "Stop looking at me like that." She said weakly, desire churning in her stomach. "Get dressed." She tried to make her words sound strong and confident but they still came out weak willed and quiet.

Natsu shook his head and smirked again before pulling the trunks on. "Leave your hair down." He told her when she had started to put her hair back in a ponytail. He waited for her nod before taking a step back to watch her more, blocking her way out of the room. He folded his arms in front of him as if expecting something and she smiled knowingly. The distance closed quickly and she captured his lips, but only kissed him long enough to feel him loosen up. It gave her the chance to slip around him and out of the room before he could react, leaving him mumbling in frustration.

Taking in the change of scenery she headed directly for the beach setup that they had prepared for the shoot. "How would you like us?" She asked Jason, who was knelt by a beach blanket that covered sand.

"Originally, we had planned to have you laid out on this, but with Natsu…" Jason said, trying to think.

"I got it." Mirajane said quickly, motioning him to move out of the way before pushing Natsu down onto his back. He pushed himself up on his elbows to look at her questioningly, but kept his mouth closed knowing she had a plan. He leaned back slightly as she moved over him, kneeling with one leg between his while the other took residence on the outside of his hip. She placed a forearm on the ground behind his head while her other hand lay on his chest. She leaned down close to him, her hair falling over her right shoulder past his left side. There were only inches between them, but to her it felt as if she was lying across his body, the heat of him penetrating the space between them.

Mirajane heard a low whistle come from Jason and knew she had picked a good position. He moved up to them and ever so slightly moved their limbs, but not changing the scene too much except to give the camera's a better look. Flashes around them filled the air with gentle clicks while the two watched one another. "I don't know how much of this I can take." Natsu admitted, blinking slowly.

Mirajane smiled lovingly down at him and winked. "Tell you what. If you let them do what they have to, I'll make it up to you tonight."

Natsu repositioned to balance on one elbow while his other snaked into her hair to take ahold of the back of her neck, pulling her forehead against his own. "And how am I supposed to wait that long?" He questioned quietly. Mirajane sighed at the feeling of his warm fingers against her skin and closed her eyes. "The anticipation." She said simply.

Natsu sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes, unable to believe that they had been stuck at the studio for three hours after the swimsuit shots. Mirajane all but clung to his side, her breathing slow and heavy. She was just as exhausted as he was, but he knew his job well and knelt on the ground in front of her. "Get on." He commanded, grabbing her hand and pulling her against his back. It took her a moment to see what he was after, but quickly climbed onto his back with her arms wrapped around his neck while he grabbed a hold of her legs to prevent her from falling.

She snuggled into his back and kissed his cheek with a smile. "How did I get so lucky to get you?" She asked curiously, giggling as he shuddered.

"Easy." He said, changing her position slightly to get a better grip. "You seduced me and made me promise to marry you before I could get my head on straight."

Mira huffed out a breath and shook her head against his back. "If anything, you were the one to seduce me, leading me to take the measures I had to resort to to get you in my bed. What with you walking around half naked all day, every day."

Natsu laughed lightly to himself. "So you were checking me out all this time?" He asked with obvious lust lacing his voice.

"Kind of hard not to when that vest of yours is always open, displaying your stomach whenever you got into a fight with Gray." She said quietly, hardly believing she was admitting this to him. "You don't know how hard it was to just stand back and watch everything you did Natsu. You never even had to try and I was yours."

"All the more reason for me to try now that I have you." He said plainly. "I just have to keep you around long enough to keep you from running away."

Mirajane kissed the soft skin on the back of his neck and shook her head. "You don't realize how bad I have it for you. I don't think I could go on without you Natsu. You are everything to me now."

Natsu stopped and set her down on a bench next to the fountain in the center of town, squatting down in front of her. "Do you know what you do when you say something like that to me? It warms my heart and breaks it at the same time. I couldn't imagine a life without you, but I know that one of these days I might disappear from this world. We both know what it means to be Fairy Tail mages. That's why I want a family with you so much, if anything happens to me, I want to leave behind something that will remind you of me so you won't forget what we have."

Mirajane felt slow tears roll down her cheeks. "I know that one day we might get separated, but until that day comes I want to be with you. I can't go back to a life without waking up with you."

"Then we get stronger so that day won't come for a while, or ever if we can help it. We have to be strong enough to protect our child, stronger than we are now." He pressed his lips to hers roughly for a moment before pulling away. "What do you say we stay away from the guild for a couple of weeks? I have somewhere I want to take you."

Mirajane tilted her head to the side. "What about our honeymoon?"

Natsu chuckled. "That's where I want to take you. I want to show you where I used to live…. Back when I was with Igneel. I couldn't imagine a better place to start our family than where mine ended." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling the two of them together so he could hold her. "I love you Mira."

"I would be honored Natsu… I would be honored to start a family where you spent most of your life." She whispered into his hair. "I don't think I could love you any more than I do now, but knowing you… I'd be surprised if you didn't find a way for me to love you more."

As always, R & R please!

By the way, taking a small break from this story to devote more time to my main story (Love, Rejection, and a Disappearance).

Only your reviews can bring me back sooner, though it should only be about two weeks for me to get caught up with the other story.